Hurtwood Muse Podcast

It's time for another ep of "Late Night Talking with Room 7" – even though it's not late, it's not night... but they are talking, and their voices are incredibly relaxing. That's right, it's Nay and Ro, this week discussing travelling with friends, and how to stay friends afterwards.

It's the return of Armiger and Amissah discussing Life after Hurtwood. And – wait – they stole my outro!

Hello you lovely, lucky people, and welcome to another episode of the Hurtwood Muse podcast. It's time to celebrate World Book Day 2024! Sit back, relax and enjoy the students and teachers of Hurtwood reading extracts from their favourite books.   If you'd like to get involved with the podcast, just email Sam or Louise.   Muse x

Hello folks - Happy New Year! It's the first Hurtwood Muse podcast of 2024, and what an absolute treat it is. What better way to usher in the end of the festivities than with Apollyia and Natalia discussing the finer points of Criminology? Keep listening - please keep listening! - and if you'd like to get involved in the meantime, email Sam to arrange a recording session on a Thursday afternoon. Toodles - Muse x

It's time for a brand new episode, and a brand new show on the Hurtwood Muse podcast: Late-Night Talking with Room 7. Your hosts Naomi and Caroline are talking about relationships: the highs, the lows, the myths and the realities. If you're listening to this on release day Oct Friday 13 2023 then come along to the amphitheatre tomorrow for poetry and doughnuts at 5.15. Bring something to read, or just come for the company. See you there folks – until next time!

Welcome back to the cupboard, lovelies! This week, Nadia and Tiwa discuss womanhood, power in society and the phenomenon of the ‘hidden mother'. I love the way that Tiwa is in the cupboard purely for emotional support. Then... Anya and Ella discuss the perils of Reading Festival and what makes Hurtwood such a nice place to be. There's some juicy Freshers gossip, house hierarchy, old schools, full boarding, and making this a ‘fun weekly thing!'

Hello, lovely people! Welcome back to the Hurtwood Muse podcast! This week, it's time to go back to March 2023, and the death and subsequent re-birth of a dog, which happened right here in our very own theatre. This year's A1 play, 'The Director, The Doctor and the Dead, Dead Dog', was an joyous bit of absurdism, and Muse was there to catch some of the action. Thank you to all of the A1 students who agreed to be interviewed for the podcast, to the directors Archie and Andy, and to the writer, ex-Hurtwood student Olive Bown, for writing such a great piece of theatre.

In this special edition of the Hurtwood Muse podcast, Abby and Mia attempt to defeat some terrifying Elden Ring bosses while Leena asks them 20 questions. Mia also introduces and offers gameplay support, as well as being the first student to ever offer to edit an episode of the podcast! HEARTS! In the mix there is an indie-music-themed, banoffee-inspired interlude from the unstoppable Claire de Wilde. A podcast first. Nay - a WORLD EXCUSIVE!

This is it! The moment you've all been waiting for! THE RETURN OF ARMIGER AND AMISSAH! AWOOGA AWOOGA! Talking about victim complex, victimising: the social contexts, the effects, the attitudes and values. This is a motivational talk from people living through real life (even though they're at pains to point out that they aren't motivational speakers, or mental health professionals) but they move so carefully and sensitively through a range of issues that affect their day-to-day lives. This is real, pragmatic advice: writing methods, mindfulness, meditation. It sounds numinous, but it's not at all. It's heartful stuff. We hope you enjoy! Until next time -  Muse x

Shhhhhhh. As part of our poetry celebration this week, here's some more original work from Ashton and Hayley that they wrote for last year's Tower Poetry competition on 'dreams'   Muse x

Hi folks! To mark National Poetry Day, which is TODAY!, this week, Ashton, Hayley and Talis talk about the Tower Poetry competition 2023. The subject was 'The Planets'. I know lots of your entered, just for the joy of it, and not anything to do with the £5000 prize money up for grabs! They discuss the planets (obviously), alien life, the multiverse, the rings of Saturn, and the - again, obviously - film ‘Up!' Until next time -  Muse x

This week, Evelyn makes a welcome return to the mic to read us some of her favourite extracts from the poetry and short stories of Gothic story writer extraordinaire, Edgar Allan Poe, as well as explaining why his writing is so important to her.   We hope you enjoy! Muse x

Welcome back, folks! This is the second episode of the Hurtwood Muse podcast for this half term, and BOY have we got an absolute TREAT for you. This week, it's Emily being interviewed by Luke, Ebi, and Mia, about her play, 'Here You Come Again', which is being put on 13-19 August at the Surgeon's Hall in Edinburgh. It's excellent to hear such passion about creative projects. We've got all of our fingers and toes crossed for a successful run!   Here's a link to her Go Fund Me page for more info: https://www.gofundme.com/f/bringing-my-play-to-the-edinburgh-festival 

Welcome back, folks! We hope you all had an absolutely DELIGHTFUL half term break. What better way to usher you back into the Hurtwood fray than another episode of the Muse podcast? I know. We spoil you. And consider yourself doubly blessed, because this is our first ever truly international episode, recorded in Vancouver (that's Vancouver, CANADA) by two ex-Hurtwood students, Cas and Arlan (and Arlan's restless cat, Picasso.) They talk with heart-wrenching nostalgia about their time here. Take note, A2s! It will come to an end soon. Eeek! Without further a-do, have a listen!  

This week, we open with Matty's fundamental misunderstanding about how we do things here at Muse: ‘Did you guys write a script for this?' To which the very quick answer was, ‘No.' Perceptions of women through Sociological and Psychological theory and practice. Defining gender, identity, our place in the world, how women feel, how men feel, how trans people feel, developmental changes, transitioning, and the way that society responds to these important issues.

For our first podcast of 2023, we're joined once again by Maggie, Belle and Ross, for another episode of Good Feminine Content. This week, they discuss women in music, inspirational quotations, and feminism, leading to one of the most anxiety provoking questions we've had so far on the Muse podcast: ‘Ross, what do you think about radical feminism?' We love you, Ross.

Hello you lovely lucky people! This week, Iris and Fredi dive deep on the career of American singer Lana Del Rey, with a particular focus on her public image, and the potentially problematic way that she casts herself. Thought-provoking conversation - as ever. We hope you enjoy - until next time. Muse x

Hello lovely folks! Welcome back to the Hurtwood Muse Podcast! This week, we've got an absolutely delightful conversation between Belle, Maggie and Ross about the great women of literature, the issue of pseudonyms, the writers they love, and why they love them. It's a great chat, and it also has a great name. I can see a regular slot taking shape... Until next time - Muse x

Welcome to another episode of the Hurtwood Muse Podcast, lovely folks! This week, we're celebrating National Poetry Day with readings from Doug, Hannah, Evelyn, Maggie, Amelie, Matty, Immy and Corn. They're reading poems they love, poems they just discovered, or even their own poetry - brave souls. We hope you enjoy! Until next time...

Hot on the heels of the new Game of Thrones prequel series, 'House of Dragons', Mia and her friend Mila discuss the enduring appeal of 'Game of Thrones', what they like about it, its deeper messages and truths, as well as the stuff they hate (ahem. THE END OF IT). Spoiler alert! There are an awful lot of Game of Thrones spoilers here. If you think you might watch the show at some point, or you're in the middle of watching it, it might be worth coming back to this another time. Want to get involved? Email sam.turton or louise.haile. Until next time, folks! 

Hello you lovely, lucky people! Welcome back to a brand new, shiny series of the Hurtwood Muse podcast! Awooga Awooga! Dispatches from the school on the hill in the middle of the English countryside. To kick things off at the beginning of this school year, we have a conversation between three students who left at the end of last year - Lily, Adrianna and Lottie - discussing the quirks and peculiarities of Lily's somewhat eccentric upbringing. We hope you enjoy - we're sure you will! If you want to get involved in anything we do, please get in touch! We'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, sit back, listen, and enjoy the beginning of a brand new school year. Muse x

This episode sees the welcome return of Evelyn, Matthew and Josephine to the Muse podcast cupboard teaming up once again to discuss all things relevant. This time it's the new Netflix limited series (other streaming services are available…) ‘Hearstopper', a tale of young love, school life and search for validation in a complex world. It's clearly a winning formula, and one which has our podcasters hooked.   We hope you've enjoyed listening. This is the final Muse podcast of the school year. You can still get in touch with ideas and material over the summer. See you in September! Stay tuned!

So, Lola and Maddy seem to have started a bit of a thing here by revealing their stories of school life. This time its Millie and Alex's turn to dish out the home truths, the stories of growing up, school rules, uniforms, backstabbing friends and emails that are much too honest. Props to Millie's mum for giving it to back to the hypocrites.   Enjoy!

This week sees the return of Cas and Arlan, with a discussion about gender and identity. This week, our intrepid duo go out into the field to discuss gender, social norms, and figuring out what identity means with their peers.  They also discuss some of the research and science behind sex and gender. As ever. It's great to hear voices from around the school pitching in to these important topic. It's also great to hear the noise of pure sadness Arlan makes when Cas accusing him of mansplaining.   Until next time, folks!

This week sees a brand new combo in the Muse podcast cupboard, with Evelyn, Matthew and Josephine teaming up to discuss Eurovision: the sequins, the drama, the politics and the pyro. More than ever, at a time when Ukraine finds itself at war, Eurovision stands as a symbol for unity and optimism. The team discuss favourite songs, least favourite songs and voting tactics. Enjoy!

Back once again with another episode of ‘Is It Tuesday Yet?', Cas and Arlan discuss the varied and complex world of food choices, covering veganism, the ethics and climate considerations of eating meat, fad diets, and, perhaps with a little too much enthusiasm, cannibalism. You have been warned!

This week, we've got a chat between Maddy and Lola talking about their lives through all-girls' boarding schools. Parties, painted nails, and school uniforms. A lot of home truths here, delivered in this frank conversation. Lots to think about – and thanks to Maddy and Lola for joining us at Muse!   Until next time, folks...

This week, it's another super episode of ‘Is It Tuesday Yet?', with your hosts Cas and Arlan. This time, the fearless duo tackle the thorny issue of being a teenager in 2022: exams, university applications, getting a job, paying taxes. They really go long on this one. Indeed, they manage to gloom each other out so much that this episode comes to a rather abrupt end. But – on the bright side – we do get a rather delightful debut from the cuddly terminology turnip, one of the many mascots that join Cas and Arlan in the recording cupboard.

This week, we have a double-bill about the prison system, cultural differences, issues surrounding criminality, re-offending, the ethical considerations, and what constitutes effective justice and rehabilitation, whilst also considering the issue of treating the prison population with humanity. Important topics, well handled. First, we have a conversation between Ashton and Laura, then it's over to Cas and Arlan. We hope you enjoy – and we hope you learn something along the way. Until next time, folks!

Hello lovely folks! Welcome back to another fine episode of the Hurtwood Muse podcast. This week, things are going to get a little bit sweary, a bit leary, a bit bleepy, as your hosts Cas and Arlan discuss the benefits, the taboos and the importance of swearing.    We hope you enjoy! Until next time... Muse x   Content warning: all big swears have been bleeped, but some minor profanities remain. Take care whilst listening. 

This week, we have Meadow discussing the smoking, vaping and addiction – what it means socially, personally, the pitfalls, and the range of important ways that it links to mental health issues. Thank you so much for joining us again, Meadow! If you enjoy the podcast and want to get involved, please do get in touch! Until next time, folks...

Welcome once again to the Hurtwood Muse Podcast! This week, the dynamic duo Amissah and Armiger discuss the complexity of being a non-white British person. It covers all aspects from language, to culture, to casual racism. It's a brilliant conversation on a hugely important topic. We hope you enjoy. Until next week, folks.

Welcome once again to the Hurtwood Muse Podcast! This week, back by popular demand, it's 'IS IT TUESDAY YET?' with Cas and Arlan. This time, the duo discuss the science of sleep, and the virtues of a later school start... Sounds dreamy. Until next week, folks.

Welcome once again to the Hurtwood Muse Podcast! This week, Amissah and Armiger - as they will henceforth be known - discuss the virtues of studying English. It's not just an A level – it's a way of life, people. We promise the English Dept at Hurtwood had no input in this discussion and that no bribes were taken... Until next week, folks.

Hello lovely folks! It's time for another thrilling installment of 'Is It Tuesday Yet?' with your hosts, Cas and Arlan. This week, they will be discussing the creative joys of Dungeons + Dragons.

Welcome once again to the Hurtwood Muse podcast. This week: Meadow and Evelyn discuss the perils of Tiktok, which, as an English teacher born in the 80s, is something that needs explaining VERY carefully. Who better to lead that way than Armiger and Amissah? Thanks for tuning in - see you next week!

Welcome back to the Hurtwood Muse podcast, lovely people. We're kicking off 2022 with some great chatter - hope you enjoy: Arlan Klopproth + Cas Raab discuss why sanitary products still aren't free, and attitudes towards periods. Arlan reads an essay on ecofashion by ex-Hurtwood student Vita Thompson

Welcome back to our final podcast of the Christmas term! We're so close I can smell the stollen. This week, we've got Meadow Armiger and Evelyn Amissah discussing the finer points of Potter lore. Grab yourself a flagon of butter beer and enjoy! Until next year - Muse x

Welcome to the first episode of the new series of the Hurtwood Muse podcast. We've got some real treats lined up for you, folks! In this episode: Douglas Wadsworth reading poetry of Charles Bukowski Tom Goss reading from Tennessee Williams' journal Rue Richardson reading from Wilde's Dorian Grey, and some snippets from Vladimir Nabokov Mia Rozan and Tom again having a conversation about cancel culture One more episode to come before the end of term, and lots more in the new year.

Home is the Sailor Or more precisely, and less poetically, the ocean rower.  Meet our very own intrepid wild man of the Atlantic, Ted Jackson, fresh back from an extraordinary 42-day challenge, rowing 2,850 nautical miles in a team of 12 all the way from Tenerife to Antigua. Tanned and (very) beardy, minus several stone (and possibly plus a new tattoo or three?) Ted has – thankfully – showered. He also has an extraordinary tale to tell of conquering his demons, keeping his cool (as well as the peace) and generally denying that old proposition that ‘hell is other people’. Yes – this is still the real Ted Jackson and he has a gleam in his eye which makes him look even more like his Dad. Listen to him tell his own inspirational story – and feel seasick when you watch the video clip.  Well done, Ted – you've done us proud.  Again.

Hello folks! Welcome to another episode of the Hurtwood Muse podcast. We've got another slice of Hurtwood life for you: an interview with ex-Hurtwood student Sophie Rieckmann, who is now doing extraordinary work as the UK president of the international charity, 'We Make Change'. We've also three current Hurtwood students - Emma, Harry and Chloe - discussing their devising process. We hope you enjoy it!

Hello folks! Welcome back to another tranche of Muse loveliness from Hurtwood House. This time we asked people to submit readings of their favourite poems in response to National Poetry Day last month. We had such an incredible response, too many to fit into this description, but a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed. Keep listening! Muse x

This will be the last for this school year! We've got creative chats with Lily, Abby, Chloe and Will. We also have lots of new writing on the blog! Read, listen and enjoy. You're so very welcome. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed so generously this term. You make MUSE happen. Keep in touch - MUSE x

Hello there, you lovely, lucky people! It's time for another lockdown dispatch from the people of Hurtwood House School. This time we've got Ellis, Anna and Kiki trapped in Austria like a gloriously dysfunctional family unit, we've got new writing from Giselle and Jessamie, we've got a chat with Nat, and some Shakespeare musings from Andy. Thanks for listening! Until next time - Muse x

Hello lovely folks! Welcome back for another episode of the Hurtwood Muse Podcast. This time, it's a chat with the unstoppable Kitty Dodd-Noble who is down to the final three for the Young Songwriter of the Year Competition. We have all of our fingers and toes crossed! She talks to Louise about her music and her inspirations. You can check out more of her stuff, including the song 'Black Heart' that she entered for the competition, on her SoundCloud page. Until next time - Muse

That's right - we're still here (aren't we all?), and it's high time for another episode of the Hurtwood Muse Podcast! This time we've got Lit Waffles from myself and Louise, as well as new poetry from Olive and Alice, and a conversation with Shanice - who is having a nice time in a cafe. Sigh. Until next time folks.

Hello lovely folks! This time we've got an excellent chat with the extraordinarily talented musician and ex-Hurtwooder, Issy Ferris. She's one half of the rocky, bluesy, folksy duo Ferris & Sylvester. If you like what you hear - and by golly you should - you can check out more of their stuff on their website. We hope you enjoy! Thanks for listening!

Hello you lovely lucky folks -  Welcome to another episode of the Hurtwood Muse Podcast. It's a rambly Lockdown jumble today - so find a quiet moment, pop in some headphones and enjoy. Thanks, as ever, to the excellent students and staff of Hurtwood for all of their inspiring contributions. Until next time!

Hello again lovely folks. What better salve for these strange times than words of wisdom and messages of hope from the teachers and students of Hurtwood House School. We hope you enjoy it - and let us know what you would like us to do for future episodes! Until next time - Muse.

Hello you lovely, lovely people. Welcome back for another slice of life from Hurtwood. This is our fresh new lockdown edition. Relaxing and chill, or dull and weird - you decide. This is the third episode of our occasional series, Lit Crit Kitchen, where me and my teammate Louise get together in the AM and have a lit chat over some steaming hot java. Fairtrade, natch. This time we talk Shakespeare - specifically, the women in 'Othello'.

Happy New Year, you lovely people! Welcome back to the hallowed halls of Hurtwood House School. What better way to start the term than a fresh - or, at least, only slightly stale - podcast containing some of the exciting things that happened last term: story telling, Muse events, tales from Paris, Honda people carriers! We hope you enjoy it - and thanks for listening!